Caring for

your pets

a highly skilled team with the latest equipment and a friendly service

Wood Street Vet hospital has been looking after animals in the area for longer than anyone can remember. Our family have brought their pets here for more than forty years.Mr & Mrs R, London

Microchipping

So, What is a microchip and why is it so important?

There has been a lot of press in recent weeks surrounding a change in law meaning that from 6 April 2016, all dog owners in England will legally have to microchip their dogs or face a potential fine.

You can find the BBC report on this topic HERE and more up to date information can be found HERE

Here at Wood Street, we routinely microchip animals of all ages, particularly new puppies and kittens, and strongly advise they be considered for both cat and dog owners.
The microchip itself is roughly the size of a grain of rice and is implanted under the skin between the shoulder blades.

There is no health risk and there are no expected side effects.
The long chip number is registered together with the owners contact details and stored on a secure database so that if the dog or cat is lost and scanned by a vet, charity such at the RSPCA, or dog warden, the pet's owner will be contacted as quickly as possible and the lost pet returned to its worried owner.

This procedure can be done in a routine appointment. For new puppies and kittens, the microchip is often implanted at either the second visit for vaccinations or when they are neutered so the procedure can be done whilst they are already under anaesthetic. This needle is a little bigger than the needles we use for vaccinations however it is very well tolerated, even in our wriggliest patients!

Distressingly, government figures reveal that more than 100,000 dogs are abandoned or lost each year, which not only carries emotional cost for owners (in the case of lost dogs), but also comes at significant financial cost to animal charities in the UK.

We strongly advise microchipping all pets to reduce this risk - at present, the cost of microchipping is £24 (January 2015) and most dogs and cats only need 1 to last them a lifetime.

So if you have got a brand new addition to the family, an older pet you would like to get chipped, or even just to discuss this further with one of our vets, just give us a call or send us a query via our website.

A BIT ABOUT US

Wood Street Vetinary Hospital is one of the longest established practices in the South East, and one of only a handful of Approved Veterinary Hospitals in the London area. We have a highly dedicated and skilled team to look after all of your pets' needs. Staff members are on the premises 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to look after our patients. We provide an emergency service so that there is always a vet and nurse available. wsv